Glossary

AACS

“Advanced Access Content System” is a specification for managing digital entertainment contents stored on the next generation of prerecorded and recorded optical media. The specification enables consumers to enjoy digital entertainment content, including high-definition content.

AVCHD (page 6)

The AVCHD format is a high definition digital video camera format used to record SD (standard definition) or HD (high definition) signals of either the 1080i specification*1 or the 720p specification*2 on DVDs, using efficient data compression coding technology. The MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 format is adopted to compress video data, and the Dolby Digital or Linear PCM is used to compress audio data. The MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 format is capable of compressing images at higher efficiency than that of the conventional image compression format. The MPEG-4 AVC/ H.264 format enables a high definition (HD) video signal shot on a digital video camera recorder to be recorded on DVDs in the same way as for a standard definition (SD) television signal.

*1 A high definition specification that utilizes1080 effective scanning lines and the interlace format.

*2 A high definition specification that utilizes 720 effective scanning lines and the progressive format.

BD-J application

The BD-ROM format supports Java for interactive functions.

“BD-J” offers content providers almost unlimited functionality when creating interactive BD-ROM titles.

BD-R

BD-R (Blu-ray Disc Recordable) is a recordable, write-once Blu-ray Disc, available in the same capacities as the BD below. Since contents can be recorded and cannot be overwritten, a BD-R can be used to archive valuable data or storing and distributing video material.

BD-RE

BD-RE (Blu-ray Disc Rewritable) is a recordable and rewritable Blu-ray Disc, available in the same capacities as the BD below. The re-recordable feature makes extensive editing and time- shifting applications possible.

BD-ROM(page 5)

BD-ROMs (Blu-ray Disc Read-Only Memory) are commercially produced discs and are available in the same capacities as the BD below. Other than conventional movie and video contents, these discs have enhanced features such as interactive content, menu operations using pop-up menus (see below), selection of subtitle display, and slideshow. Although a BD-ROM may contain any form of data, most BD ROM discs will contain movies in High Definition format, for playback on Blu- ray Disc players.

Blu-ray Disc (BD) (page 5)

A disc format developed for recording/ playing high-definition (HD) video (for HDTV, etc.), and for storing large amounts of data. A single layer Blu-ray Disc holds up to 25 GB, and a dual-layer Blu-ray Disc holds up to 50 GB of data.

Chapter (page 25)

Sections of a picture or a music feature that are smaller than titles. A title is composed of several chapters. Depending on the disc, no chapters may be recorded.

Dolby Digital (page 47)

Digital audio compression technology developed by Dolby Laboratories. This technology conforms to multi-channel surround sound. The rear channel is stereo and there is a discrete subwoofer channel in this format. Dolby Digital provides the same discrete channels of high quality digital audio found in “Dolby Digital” theatre surround sound systems. Good channel separation is realized because all of the channel data is recorded discretely and little deterioration occurs because all channel data processing is digital.

Dolby Digital Plus (page 48)

Developed as an extension to Dolby Digital, the audio coding technology supports 7.1 multi-channel surround sound.

Dolby Surround (Pro Logic) (page 47)

Audio signal processing technology that Dolby Laboratories developed for surround sound. When the input signal contains a surround component, the Pro Logic process outputs the front, centre and rear signals. The rear channel is monaural.

Dolby TrueHD (page 48)

Dolby TrueHD is a lossless coding technology that supports up to 8 channels of multi-channel surround sound for the next generation optical discs. The reproduced sound is true to the original source bit-for-bit.

DTS (page 47)

Digital audio compression technology that DTS, Inc. developed. This technology conforms to multi-channel surround sound. The rear channel is stereo and there is a discrete subwoofer channel in this format. DTS provides the same discrete channels of high quality digital audio.

Good channel separation is realized because all of the channel data is recorded discretely and little deterioration occurs because all channel data processing is digital.

DTS-HD(page 48)

DTS-HD is an extended format of the Coherent Acoustics audio coding system, which also encompasses DTS Digital Surround, DTS-ES, and DTS 96/

24.DTS-HD is highly flexible in supporting the number of discrete surround sound channels. While 7.1ch surround sound is planned for Blu-ray Discs, the audio signals can be downmixed to 5.1 or 2 channels for backward compatibility, and the reproduced audio quality can either be at the bit rate of DTS Digital Surround or the lossless mode.

DVD VIDEO (page 5)

A disc format that contains up to eight hours of moving pictures on a disc the same diameter as a CD. A single-layer single sided DVD holds up to 4.7 GB; a double layer single-sided DVD, 8.5 GB; a single layer double-sided DVD, 9.4 GB; double-layer double-sided DVD, 17 GB. The MPEG 2 format is adopted for the efficient video data compression. The variable rate coding technology that changes the data to be allocated according to the status of the picture is adopted for reproducing high-quality pictures. Audio information is recorded in a multi-channel format, such as Dolby Digital, allowing for a realistic audio presence.

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